This blog will stay online for a short while, then it will forward to roseandposey.com, my new crafty blog about the art of natural perfumery and my attempt at learning it. Anyone that knows me knows I’m a complete perfume junkie. I’ve wanted to learn perfumery for about 5 years now and am finally making it a priority.

I’m very excited about what’s in store! I’ve needed a creative jumpstart for a while, and I’m looking forward to this beautifully scented journey.

Hope you’ll join me!

(P.S. You can still catch me over at ReboundPodcast.com, too!)

So this month, I’ve been spending a lot of time clicking unsubscribe. As of today, I’ve removed myself from at least 30 newsletters. My rule of thumb is – if I haven’t read it at least once in the last month, it gets canned. Even newsletters I thought were important to subscribe to because I may get a tidbit from them every few weeks got canned.

You know what happened? Checking my email is no longer a chore. I’m in, I’m out and I’m done. I was afraid to hit that unsubscribe button at first because of all the useful info I thought I might miss, but the time I gained from getting rid of all of that inbox clutter outweighed the small amount of knowledge I might gain from the mailings.

I thought I might miss some of them but I surprisingly don’t. I’m much happier without them.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by email, start clicking unsubscribe. You will thank yourself later.

One of the greatest struggles that keeps Christians from experiencing abundant life is the temptation to try harder.  If you are struggling with something you are often told that you simply have to give it a little bit more effort.  Often times I will hear someone say, “I tried to do everything I could” but what they are really saying is “I haven’t been trusting what God has instructed.”

Too often “trying” involves us using our logic and rational thought at the expense of “trusting” what God has already said.

Since finances play a starring role in our lives right now, I know that I have been trying too hard to create more income instead of trusting God with the income I already have. I even mentioned this in our latest podcast, talking about the burnout I’ve experienced by working incredibly hard with no end goal in mind and therefore neglecting the money I already have because I’m too busy trying to earn more money. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?

God hasn’t failed us yet. So why am I trying so hard to do it all myself?

When the hubby and I were at an all-time low last year and put full trust in God with our finances, He blessed us with such incredible abundance that we were left in complete awe. And without even realizing it, I took that control back and tried to create more income for us instead of continuing to trust God completely with our finances.

I’m a control-freak. I own it. I like setting goals, hitting them, moving on to the next one, accomplishing to the tenth degree and then some, but I’ve never stepped back to think at what expense?

I think that when you’ve been through the things we have been through, you are always afraid that one day you might end up right back where you were – broke, unhappy, scared, lonely and afraid. I don’t want to ever experience that again. Yet trying to do more is not the answer.

I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer about how I can balance my desire to get out of debt quickly with my need for stillness and slowness. God is definitely shedding some light on it all, and I’m starting to gain some clarity on how I can balance the two more easily than I am able to today.

But it all starts with trusting that God will do what He has promised to do. And that means letting go of being in control and allowing Him to take control.

Pastor Jeff continues:

Romans 9:31-32 says, “But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the laws instead of by trusting in him.”

In what areas of your life are you trying instead of trusting?

First on the agenda: my bedroom. Since I’m coming to terms with my inability to sew, I’ve decided to turn my sewing desk into a vanity. Along with that, I wanted a pretty way to showcase my jewelry that also made them easier to find. I’ve seen a lot of tree branch jewelry stands lately, and I especially like the ones from Urban Outfitters, but $30-40? Puh-lease!

So I made my own.

Here’s how I did it: I went in the woods near my house and gathered some branches. I combed through them to find the one that had the shape that I was looking for – curving to one side with lots of little branches to hang stuff from. I “molded” the branch to my liking by removing the extra little branches so that it took on the shape I envisioned. I then cleaned the branch well and spray painted it with clear coat. For the base, I took a bag of $2 decorative sand and filled a vintage vase with it, inserted the branch and voila! A cheap jewelry holder.

This is how I used to store my jewelry:

Yikes, right? The branch is so much better.

If you’re feeling like I am and want to start creating some thrifty decor, there’s a lot of places you can look for inspiration. One of my favorites is CraftyNest. This weekend, I’m going to be working on a variation of this CraftyNest photo collage.

But don’t let your budget stop you from making your house a home. There are plenty of ways to dress up your space without breaking the bank. Get creative and have fun!

I had some fresh herbs that I purchased a while back that were getting older – basil, sage, summer savory and flat-leaf parsley – and I didn’t want them to go to waste. Now normally, they’d go to waste. I wouldn’t have time to do it any differently. But this weekend, I put them in the dehydrator and let them dry out at 125 degrees F for about 12 hours. Now I have bags of dried herbs ready to be used.

I also had some apples that the boys wouldn’t touch. Actually, I wouldn’t touch them either. They came in a bag, which means they were pretty beat when we brought them home from the store. Ick. So instead of throwing them out, I whipped up some applesauce for the boys in about 30 minutes using this recipe. Now they have fresh applesauce sans corn syrup to snack on this week, and it really took no time at all.

It just took a little letting go of the “not enough time” syndrome.

And the best part? My 6-year-old told me, “Mom, I love it when you make things special for me.” So there you go. There’s my #1 reason for slowing down.

I cut up 4 apples, sprinkled them with cinnamon, and added water and sugar to the pan.

I then put the burner on medium and brought the mixture to a soft boil.

After about 15 minutes on the stove, I started to mash the apples in the pan.

After cooling, it gets a bit thicker and takes on the consistency of commercial applesauce but it’s way yummier.

After cooling completely, place it in a Mason jar and stick that baby in the fridge!

Homemade Applesauce

4 Servings

Ingredients

• 4 apples – peeled, cored and chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

If you decide to make some, let me know how it turns out!

I’ve been hanging on to a lot of this stuff in hopes that I will someday use it.

• The pretty green desk with the hand knit cushion is my sewing table, but I don’t sew very well. In fact, I haven’t come to terms with the fact that sewing is just not my thing, so there it sat in the corner of my bedroom, unused and unloved.
• The vintage mannequin from my etsy-selling days. I love it, but I have no use for it now.
• The clothes that don’t fit, some with the tags still on, were purchased years ago in hopes that I would one day fit into them. I still don’t fit into them.

And the list goes on and on…

Decluttering this weekend forced me to let go of some of my attachments. For instance, I can’t hold on to the dream of  fitting into smaller clothes because seeing those smaller clothes every day in my closet reiterate the fact that, as of today, I’ve failed. So I let them go. If my strive to be more healthy results in weight loss in the future, then I can worry about smaller clothes. Today, they are just taking up space in my home and in my head.

Clearing the clutter this weekend made me feel lighter, maybe even a little more free.

If you’re trying to live a slower, more meaningful life, start by clearing the clutter. It’s wonderful.

Anne wrote an overview on her blog about the intro today, but this part hit home for me:

The word boredom hardly existed 150 years ago but now it’s one of our most common fears.

I know I’m afraid to be bored.

Afraid of what the silence brings.

Afraid I’m being lazy.

Or unproductive.

And therefore…worthless.

I had to ponder that for a little while. Worthless. I’ve always felt that if I’m not working hard all the time, then I’m not working hard enough. And I do this because doing anything else makes me feel… lazy, unproductive, worthless.

The bigger question is why? and I don’t have an answer for that yet. I think that question might be answered as I get deeper into the book and explore this whirlwind that has been my life for the last few years.

For now, I’ll just wrap this post up with my jaw still on the floor.

(Is this what Oprah calls an Aha! moment?)

I didn’t expect it but looking back, I should have seen it coming. As a wife and mother with multiple ambitions, I just couldn’t go through life at mach-speed without hitting a wall. And when I hit it, I hit it hard.

That’s when I realized that something had to change.

My life was noisy – so much to do in so little time. I drink coffee to stay awake. I eat food to make me happy. I can’t keep up with all my housework. I drag myself to church. My work and to-do schedule leave little time to play.

Yet, I podcast, blog and tweet like I’ve got it all together. Clearly, I don’t have it all together.

When Spence and I started podcasting, we made a promise to ourselves to be completely open and transparent with our listeners, and it has kept us accountable and has changed our lives. So now, I’m going to be completely open and transparent with you.

I’ve spent a lot of time recently taking a step back so that I can reanalyze my life, my goals and my purpose. And in this, I’ve realized that I have to start living more simply. I have to take it easy on myself, focus on what’s really important, and reduce all of the noise in my life. This includes my digital life.

In order to live more simply, I’m turning my focus to these specific areas in my life:

• I’m reconnecting with God. For a while, I had time for everyone and everything except for God. I only fit Him in when and if I had the time. I started losing my way and questioning my faith. I began to doubt my spirituality. Then I read this tweet from Pastor Daryl:
  And yes, I was guilty as charged. That’s when I spent almost a month’s worth of blow money on a great study Bible (Quest, if you’re wondering), and started reading it instead of checking my email and social networks at 5:30 in the morning.
• I’m eating lighter and living lighter. After a long talk with a wonderful colleague who is a recovering alcoholic and food addict, what I’ve always known to be true but couldn’t admit to myself became clear to me in that moment – I have an addictive personality, and I am a food addict. In my youth, I abused substances. Now that I’m a mother, I abuse food. Saying that out loud changed everything. Now I’m doing something about it.

• I’m getting active. I recently purchased a bicycle, and it’s the best investment I’ve ever made. I absolutely love riding it, and it makes exercising easy. Since I know getting healthy will take some hard work, I’m also walking and jogging during my lunch hour.
• I’m getting rid of the noise. That caffeine that gets me going in the morning? I am working on substituting it with healthier, non-caffeinated alternatives. All that talk within my social networks? I’m spending less time reading them and more time reading thought-provoking books and blogs. That loud television that seems to be on all the time? I’ve canceled my cable package and moved to a more budget-friendly online alternative so that I watch a smaller amount of TV instead of channel-surfing to the next show. And my home that seems to be an endless reminder of all the things I need to do? I’m clearing out the clutter and having a big yard sale. I’m learning to embrace minimalism.
• I’m worrying about money less. The one thing about becoming debt-free is that, although there seems to be more and more money in the bank account and there’s nothing to worry about, I’m so used to worrying that I sometimes can’t help it. Even when things are just fine. So, I’m making an effort to stop focusing on money. My life has been about work, work, work for so long that I don’t know how to take a break without feeling guilty or wondering when I might regret that decision because I could have done more.
• I’m letting go of perfectionism. There are many things I want to accomplish, many things I want to fit into this life. But I’m letting go of being perfect in every thing that I do. It’s just too stressful!

I’m still goal-driven and focused on my ambitions. That won’t change. But how I go about accomplishing those goals will change. I’m welcoming quietness and simplicity back into my life, and so far, it’s been quite joyful.

Even my blog got a simple makeover, and over the next few months, I’ll be blogging openly about this journey.

Hope you’ll stick around and join me!

Image Credit: Jeanette Runyon

Healthwise, I’m doing good but there’s room for improvement. The hubby and I did the Daniel Fast in February and that helped me to focus on eating foods that were good for me. We didn’t make it the full 21 days, but the short time we did do it had a profound effect on our paletes. We started craving foods that were good for us, and as a result, the boys did as well. As a family, we have completely cut out sugary cereals in the morning and have added in more fruits and veggies to our diets. I’ve lost 5 pounds out of the 50 I want to lose, and although I feel I could have done a lot better, I’m pretty happy with that. So, this next quarter, a large amount of my focus will be on my health.

Rebound continues to grow and we are very excited about what is happening with our little podcast. We got featured on iTunes in March and have continued to appear on the featured Business pages since then. Our downloads have grown exponentially, and we are so happy to be interacting and engaging with other people that are in our shoes. Our main focus for the next quarter is to be more consistent with the weekly release of the podcasts.

Craft & Creative is morphing! My goal is to have this little baby up and running in late Fall 2010, and it’s been an exciting journey so far. I can’t release a lot of details just yet, but I can show you our new snazzy logo! It was designed by the very talented Brooke of Rightleft Studio and it absolutely captures what Craft & Creative will be all about.

All this work is not leaving much time for creating a cozy, stress-free home. I’m getting there, but not making the progress I wanted. But I’m not beating myself up about it. I think I will be able to focus on this more after the summer. In the meantime, I’m doing the best that I can!

I crossed a few things off of my 101 things list. My goal is 50 this year, so in order to get more focused on this, I have added all of my 101 things to my iPhone so it is with me at all times.

And yes, the big change is underway. No details yet, but maybe soon…

So, how are you doing? Did you have your Quarter 1 review? If you made goals for 2010, what kind of progress are you making?

Take a look at these voluptuous beauties that have inspired me lately:

Nerdy casual (that’s a compliment!)

Vintage knits

The ruffle skirt makes a comeback

A splash of red

More ruffles with a jean jacket

A spring scarf

Adorable leggings (ruled them out once, but this outfit makes me reconsider)

Pretty poppies

And although not voluptuous, I love what she did with a vintage wedding dress:

Vintage wedding remix

Do you have a favorite? Share it in the comments!

About an hour later, it was time for us to go. As I neared the door and watched the woman stamping people’s hands as they entered, it hit me.

My son, who DID have a stamp, left Chuck E Cheese with someone that said they were picking up their child and DIDN’T have a stamp, and NO ONE was alerted.

I let my kids run around somewhat freely at Chuck E Cheese because of this safeguard. I know it’s not a substitute for adult supervision, but I let my guard down because it’s in place. And I trust that the person guarding the door will do their job and check to make sure the stamps match up.

Later that evening when my son was dropped off, I told his father about my realization and asked, “What did the lady say to you at the door?”

He said he fully expected that they would ask me to come up and verify that they were, in fact, allowed to leave together, but she simply said, “I trust you” and let them out the door.

“I trust you.” Really?

Considering that 76% of children that are kidnapped are taken by someone they know, can someone in charge of making sure that children leave with the adult they came with afford to allow just anyone to leave with whomever they choose because they feel they can be trusted?

I’m at fault, too. I trusted that Chuck E Cheese would do their job correctly. I trusted that the woman at the door would actually check to make sure that those that left had matching stamps. I trusted them with my child, and I won’t do it again.

I started the week out with the worst cold ever. On Monday, I felt like a truck had steamrolled me. Tuesday wasn’t much better. In fact, today is the first day that I’m actually feeling almost normal. So, starting a fast on this week made it even more difficult to stay focused and committed.

By Day 4 of the fast, I was hungry, grumpy and felt, for lack of a better work, completely unsatisfied. I had lost over 4 pounds and I was thinking about meals a lot. Not good for the liver and not good for me emotionally. So, on Day 5, I added in wheat and whole-grain bread, some dairy and chicken or fish at one meal a day. I’m still caffeine-free and sugar-free, and I feel incredible.

In fact, I woke up this morning and realized that I don’t crave sugar. This is a victory in itself.

At first, I felt that by adding in a few different foods not allowed during the fast, I was not actually fasting. But I think that the levels of sacrifice are different for each individual and just giving up caffeine and sugar are daunting for me. Also, I want to make sure that I do this in a healthy way for my body and the fact is, losing too much weight too quickly is just as bad on the liver as staying at an unhealthy weight. God knows where my heart is, and that’s what matters.

I went to the library yesterday and stumbled across On a Dollar a Day, a book by Kerri and Christopher of the One Dollar Diet Project. It caught my eye as I had the realization a few days ago that because the hubby and I are on Dave Ramsey’s plan, our grocery budget is small. When Spence and I started the Daniel Fast, we had to increase the budget and even then, I felt like we weren’t eating enough. I felt hungry all the time. Then it hit me – we were used to eating cheap, energy-dense foods and by doling out the same portions in veggies and fruits, we just weren’t eating enough. For our family to eat a vegan diet long-term would require us to double our grocery budget, something we can’t afford to do. This book explores the financial issues that many Americans face in regards to food, and why parents sometimes have to choose to feed their children 99 cent tacos instead of 99 cent oranges. So far, it’s a pretty good read.

Now that we’ve made some wiggle room in our budget, fasting has made us think more about our diet in general and ways that we can add in healthier foods in affordable ways. A while back, we decided to add in more whole foods to our diet, but we can do more. It probably means that we will increase our grocery budget, and we will do that by decreasing our television package, for instance, or our entertainment funds.

Overall, I’m relieved that on Day 6, I’m starting to feel better. The headaches are almost gone and I wake up feeling alive and ready to face the day instead of like a zombie until I get my caffeine. I’m also learning what it’s like to rely on God, and I’m excited to see what He has in store for our family.

(As a side note, the kids are not fasting with us. They are still happily eating regular meals.)

I’ve spent that last two months praying about the Daniel Fast and asking God for guidance on whether or not it’s something I should do. I’ve felt that God has been calling me to do this on a spiritual level so that I will learn to rely more on Him and less on myself and my vices (which never work anyway) and I know that taking better care of myself physically is something I have to do if I want to live a long life so the fast is a good first step. But honestly, I’ve been fearful that I will do the fast for the wrong reasons, like vanity, or that my body will perceive it as another diet and rebel. After spending much time in prayer over this, I know that it’s what I should do, so the hubby and I decided last week to do it together.

Today is Day One, and it’s a doozie.

Yesterday morning, I started getting the sniffles which didn’t seem like such a big deal, but by the end of the day, my head felt like it was going to explode. Today it’s even worse. I can’t breathe out of my nose, my body aches, my head is splitting, and I have none of my guilty pleasures to rely on to make me feel better.

All I want is a coffee, or a piece of chocolate, or both.

One thing is for sure: I’m learning quickly what it’s like to rely on God instead of vices.

If you’ve done the Daniel Fast, I’d love to hear about your favorite tips or recipes. Please share them in the comments.

In fact, swatching is what separates novice knitters from advanced knitters. Those who hate swatching will always stay with hats and scarves – things that don’t require exact measurements. Sometimes, they’ll even attempt a garment without swatching and end up with clothing that’s never quite right. Advanced knitters know that swatching is a crucial step because even though it’s dreaded, it saves a lot of time down the road and ensures that all the hard work and time spent knitting the garment will result in a wardrobe addition that fits perfectly.

Building your social media strategy is like swatching: everyone hates it, but it has to be done. Big companies hire folks to create strategy for them but as a small business or solopreneur, it’s up to you to create your own strategy. You can’t just jump right in. To get results, you need a plan. Otherwise, you’re creating minutiae with ill-fitting results.

Last week, I taught a social media 101 class to a group of real estate agents. Real estate agents are good at relationships, so social media is a space they should be participating in. But instead of talking about how to set up a Facebook account or the dos and don’ts of tweeting, we talked about strategy. Instead of talking about how, we talked about what and why.

If you are thinking about using social media to promote your business or services, start with what and why.

What do I hope to accomplish with social media? What ways can I provide value in the social media space? What are others currently saying about my business or my industry? Why is it important that my business participate in that conversation?

It’s not the end-all, be-all to social media strategy, but it’s a start.

After my latest crafting fail, I’m back in the game with this Pinwheel Sweater. I decided to go with the most gorgeous teal in 100% wool (Cascade 220 to be exact), and I’m terribly excited to be knitting again. I’ll be working up the first swatch tonight and this project will be on like Donkey Kong in about 24 hours.

If you’re a knitter, feel free to join me! You don’t have to knit this particular sweater, of course, but grab and project, leave a comment and tell us all what you’re working on! We can call it a quasi-knitalong. And if you wanna, we can connect on Ravelry here.

First, I told Sharon it would be done by her baby shower in August. That didn’t happen. Then it was September when Parker was due. Nope, still not done. Then it was Christmas. You can see where this is going…

Ten months later, this is where I’m at.

This weekend, I finally came to terms with the fact that it will just never be completed. I have to put it down, count my losses, apologize and move on. I feel terrible, because I really wanted to finish it. But I’m just no good at it. Cross-stitching can be fun, but mostly it’s tedious and frustrating for me.

Lesson learned. Next time, I won’t be so ambitious. Little Parker will get something hand knit with love in every stitch. Because that’s what I’m good at.

How about you? Ever have to give up on something you really wanted to finish but just couldn’t?

When our family started budgeting, we were freed, in part, from this hum-drum existence. When you’re working Dave Ramsey’s plan, you have to put in the hours of work it takes to get out of debt, but once you start making progress, the things you dream of someday doing become a closer reality.

I’ve always wondered which came first: your passions or the money? Some people seem to have it made, doing something they are passionate about from Day One and making a modest income doing so. But for some of us, this isn’t the case. In a consumerist society, I would argue that things come first, and we all put our blinders on so we can focus on generating income to pay for those things. If we’re lucky, we will end up doing something we enjoy. But mostly, our true passions soon become one-day or when-I-retire dreams.

Last year, I decided that I wouldn’t hold off on passions on hold any longer. I’m getting out of debt as fast as I possibly can so that I can start doing the things I love doing. I love crafting, farming and the simple life, and I want to own a small-scale farm someday soon. That’s my one when-I-retire dream that I will make happen in the next couple of years.

Everything I do today is a step towards living a spirited life. And you know what? I’m having a lot of fun doing it.

What about you? Are you doing today what you are most passionate about? If not, what’s holding you back?

Image Credit: Joaaso

If you’re new to my blog and came here from the #ILM tweetup, welcome!

I am @lisaashby on twitter and have been tweeting since early 2008.

(Hi, Lisa.)

At first, I didn’t quite get twitter. But once I started meeting other people through twitter, it became a fun thing for me to do. I quickly became interested in the marketing aspects of twitter and started experimenting with bringing traffic from twitter to my personal blog. Today, I know that the connections I made on twitter helped to build a small community on my personal blog.

I discovered the power of celebrity when Richard from Akira Media retweeted a post about a Pee Wee Herman stencil craft I did. Richard’s tweet was then retweeted by Pee Wee Herman and the traffic to my site went up 100x that day alone. My subscriber count doubled and the traffic to my blog has increased significantly since then. The “Pee Wee page” as I call it continues to be one of the top 5 content pages on my site each month.

In June, my husband and I started Rebound, a podcast about becoming debt-free following Dave Ramsey’s baby steps. I instantly started promoting the podcast on twitter and it has been the most successful campaign thus far. We have connected with listeners through twitter and our Facebook page, and our little podcast is growing exponentially. We have had 18,000+ downloads since June, 8,000 of which came in January 2010 alone.

To ensure success, I focused on quality followers instead of quantity followers. I follow people that are passionate about the things I do – crafting, finances, marketing and entrepreneurship. I also engaged my core group as it started to emerge and continue to engage them on a regular basis. These are the people that believe in what I do and cheer me on, and I don’t take it for granted. I thank them for RTs, ask them questions, get their opinions, and promote what they do. When your core group is talking about you, they are promoting you. And I wholeheartedly believe in giving back to each person in this group what they have given to me.

I talk about anything and everything on twitter, although I try to stick to the topics of work, life and crafting. I use Twitterfeed to feed my blogs and podcast to twitter and to share what I find interesting in my Google Reader. Although I sing its praises, there’s a fine line between putting your work out there and overdoing it on the feeds. Don’t be that guy – don’t turn your twitter stream into an RSS feed that rehashes information 24/7.

I get the most responses from others when I talk about the things they are passionate about. It makes it easy when you choose to connect with people that are into what you’re into. I also participate in industry-specific chats on twitter to make connections with others that are in the same field I am.

Most importantly, I’m authentic. No response from or interaction with me is automated or regurgitated. I don’t auto DM. I don’t spam my stream. I believe that twitter is all about interaction, and that is the aspect that I most like about it.

Every blogger should be on twitter, but only if they are willing to do two things: One, you have to be perfectly fine with being transparent. If you’re not okay with that, blogging may not be the best platform for you anyway. Two, you have to be passionate about building and engaging your community. That’s what blogging is about anyway though, right? But before you get started, have realistic expectations. It will take time to build a following, and it will be lonely at first. Once you get the hang of it, it’s a lot of fun.

That’s my twitter story and I’m sticking to it.

Are you on twitter? Leave a comment and let us know who you are on twitter. How are you using twitter to promote yourself and your work?

Image Credit: Sasha Wolff

A while back, I promised a series about gardening for those that are new to gardening or that had tried it a few times, like me, with little success. I had no idea I’d be writing my first post in January, but that’s also probably a small part of why I failed the first time.

Did you know that most people start planning their spring gardens in November and December? And depending on when your last spring frost date is (ours is March 17th) and whether or not you use a greenhouse, you’ll probably be planting flowers a couple of months before that date and vegetables shortly afterwards. The key is getting them started as early as possible so that you have the largest possible harvest. (Funny thing is, I never even considered the weather any other times I tried to grow a garden. The planning is pretty intense but for an organizational nerd like me, it looks like a lot of fun.)

I met with Ryan the second week of January to start planting flower seeds. It was cold. In fact, it was so cold that it took me about 3 hours after I left that day to thaw out. I learned a lot, though – little things that may be intuitive to others but certainly not to me. I had a few aha! moments, and I felt right at home playing in the dirt.

Here are a few tips I learned on starting seeds:

• Seeds like fine soil and even the tiniest particle of wood or mulch will prevent a seed from sprouting. Instead of spending the big bucks on special seed-starting mix, take the regular stuff and sift it with a old fryer basket. Save the mulch so you can use it elsewhere, and use the sifted soil for your seeds.
• Fill your cellpacks or containers with the mix and press it in lightly. Thoroughly water the soil, then plant the seeds. (I know this sounds like common sense, but I always did it the other way around which causes tiny seeds to wash away.)
• A dull wooden pencil is the perfect seed-planting tool. Use it to create a little pocket in the soil for your seed, and use it to pick up the tiniest of seeds to place them in the dirt. Trust me, it’s much easier than using your fingers.
• Check the seed package to see how deep the seed needs to be planted. If it says “light required”, sow it directly on the surface. If it should be 1/8″ deep, just poke a small hole in the dirt and place the seed in it. You’ll be surprised how shallow 1/8″ actually is.
• You only have to plant one seed for each plant you want to grow. If you’re using good seeds and sowing them with care, they will grow just fine.

I totally forgot to take my camera, but I will remember to bring it next time. I’m so excited about the weeks to come and can’t wait to play in the dirt again!

I will continue this series on Fridays – probably not every week right away, but consistently. Subscribe via RSS or email for updates.

Image Credit: hijukal

I came home from the #ILM tweetup tonight (more on that Monday) to find out that the bank had accepted our offer to payoff one of our cars and that my dear sweet hubby had already gone to the bank, got the check cut, and overnighted it to Chase. As of tomorrow, we will have a PAID OFF car!

We haven’t had a paid off car since the hubby drove a $500 Datsun and I drove my mom’s old Mustang.

Let the switcharoo begin!

While my 6-year-old and I were listening to Modest Mouse’s Float On today, he looked at me and said, “You know why sometimes this song makes me cry a little bit?” His face was vulnerable, pained and sincere.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because it’s so pretty,” he said. “The sounds are so pretty that sometimes it makes me cry a little bit.”

When you find beauty in something, don’t be afraid to allow yourself to feel it with all of your heart. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that take our breath away. In a life full of moments, capture the ones that push you to the edge, the ones that make you cry just a little bit. Those are the ones worth savoring.

I said, “You know, sometimes songs that are really pretty make me cry a little bit, too.”

He smiled and started humming along with the tune.

The hubby and I recorded another episode of Rebound yesterday about a huge blessing that has happened in our lives, and although I’m thrilled that we get to share the story, I’m starting to realize that as we reach a wider audience, we open ourselves up more and more to judgement from others. The thought almost made me freeze up yesterday as being judged by others is a pretty scary place for me on a personal level. Surprisingly, all of this didn’t hit me until we posted this episode, and it’s probably because the story is so special to me.

When I told the hubby about my concern of others’ judging me, his response was, “And what if they do? They don’t have to live our lives or pay our bills.” And he’s right.

When you start on the path to your extraordinary, towards the one thing you really want or really believe in, you’ll encounter all sorts of emotions and reactions from others about what it is that you do. Sometimes, it will feel personal. You have to be willing to accept it all – the good, the bad, and the scary – to move forward. Otherwise, you’ll never live the life you dream of living.

So, I’ve decided that I’ll just get over it instead of allowing  this fear to stop me in my tracks. I’m too passionate about this little podcast to let anything get in my way.

What fears threaten your ability to achieve more? How do you overcome them?

Image Credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

From Lifepoint:

We’ve all been glued to our TVs keeping up with the terrible crisis in Haiti this week. Many of you want to know what you can do to make a difference. We want to let you know what we’re doing as a church to help.

Giving Toward Relief Efforts

This weekend we will be giving the entire Outreach portion of our offering plus additional funds to Samaritan’s Purse in support of their Disaster Relief in Haiti.We have structured our Outreach effort at Lifepoint for quick response in times like this. Through our partnerships with Samaritan’s Purse, The Association Of Related Churches, and Love A Child (Haiti) we are immediately ready to help support and rebuild a community with the best disaster relief organization in the world.This is a heads up so you can prepare to give big this weekend. In fact, you can also give right now online at lifepointnow.com/give.php. All online gifts received between 1/11-1/17 will go toward this week’s offering and Outreach efforts.

Collecting Goods for Haiti

Many of you also want to know what else you can do. We will be collecting the following items at the Church Office (740B S. College Rd.) and on Sundays at our two locations. These items will be shipped in a large container directly to Haiti.

Medications:
(These items can be purchased over the counter at any local drug store)

Aspirin
Tylenol
Motrin
Children’s and adult multi-vitamin
Benadryl
Neosporin or triple antibiotic
Oral re-hydration salts
Cough medications

Medical Supplies:
(These items can be purchased over the counter at any local drug store)

Ace bandages
Alcohol pads
Band-aids
Betadine wipes and sticks
Drapes
Gauzes – any size
Gloves – all sizes, sterile/non-sterile
Gowns -surgical and patient (head and shoe covers, goggles, masks)
Pediatric supplies (including powdered milk and formula)
Tape – all types
Thermometers
Other:
(These items can be purchased through a doctor or physicians’ office)
Zantac
Hypertension medications
Blood pressure medications
Blades – sterile only
Needles – butterfly, angio catheter
Compression stockings
Dressings – sterile and un-sterile (Coban, Tegaderm, Steri-Strip, Surgilast)
IV supplies – tubing in sterile packages only
Scalpels
Sponges – surgical only (includes X-ray detectable)Surgical towels – cloth/paper
Sutures
Syringes
Tongue depressors

Prayer Service For Haiti

Lastly, we will have a special prayer service dedicated to Haiti on Monday night at 7pm at Lifepoint Midtown (740B S. College Rd).Lifepoint Church has always been an over and above church and it’s times like these that you shine!

I’ve mentioned Into the Wild before. Into the Wild is the true story of Chris McCandless, a guy who gives up his entire life savings after graduation to escape into the Alaskan wilderness. His story is a tragic one, but that’s not why I’m drawn to it. Chris had a disdain for American materialism and opted instead for a nomadic life, an idyllic life in some regards.

As a person that had always had a negative relationship with money, this sort of life was appealing to me after a selfish life of spending more than I earn. Sure, that might sound extreme but really, why not? How many of us have dreamed of escaping the hamster wheel of work, bills, debt, and more work?

When the hubby and I started on Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, it was a long while before we started to see any progress. But once we saw progress, something changed. Money started working for us instead of the other way around. And when money starts working for you, you no longer feel a slave to it.

We still have a long way to go. Everything could change tomorrow. But for now, I’m taking comfort in the fact that my relationship with money is changing, and therefore my whole life is changing.

I’m excited about the road ahead.

How about you? Are you working Dave Ramsey’s program? How is it changing you?

One of the things that stood out to me during my marathon training was how easy it became for me to say “no” to so many things.  For those of you who don’t know me, I have always had a tough time saying “no.”  However, during my marathon training I found that if an activity had the potential of sidelining my training it was an automatic “no!”

For instance, I didn’t skateboard at all during my training.  I watched my family play flag football on Thanksgiving.

I know those sound lame but the reality is that I wasn’t going to waste months of my life training only to sprain my ankle on a skateboard.

It is easy to say “no” to things that you don’t want to do.  Most of us don’t struggle with that!  However, many of us struggle with saying “no” to the good so we can say “YES” to the great!

In less than 7 hours we are going to be entering into a brand new year.  What good things are you going to say “NO” to in 2010 so that you can say “YES” to the great things that come your way?

Today, I’m saying NO to the little wants and “needs” that derail my progress towards a healthier and happier me. I’m saying NO today to coffee and sugary foods so I can say YES this year to better health. I’m hoping that by saying no today, it will get easier to say no tomorrow.

What about you? What are you saying NO to?

If you’re a Rebound listener, then you know that the hubby and I have been working Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps intensely for a few months now and I’m excited to say that we have funded our baby emergency fund, thus completing Baby Step 1!

We are now knee deep into Baby Step 2, paying off lots of debt and snowballing it until it’s gone.

We skipped recording the podcast last weekend, choosing instead to get a jumpstart on the baby steps, but we’ll be back on the mics this weekend. We’ll be talking about disconnecting, letting go of old ways and embracing change.

Then the following week, you’ll get to hear this incredible story about how the hubby and I were blessed with a second chance at this whole money thing and propelled to Baby Step 2 so quickly. It’s a crazy story and a testament to the power of putting God first in your life, your finances, and your marriage.

You don’t want to miss it.

Healthwise, it’s all about making small changes over the year for a big overall change by next New Years Day. My goal for this year is to lose 50 pounds and to develop a workout schedule that I can be consistent with each week. I think for now that means that I’ll do a lot of walking/jogging, and I’ll be listening to lots of Indie Soup Runner and DJ Count’s new wave mixes. Over the course of the year, I’ll be cutting out alcohol, caffeine and sugar completely. I’ll continue to focus on eating whole foods and growing a sustainable garden.

I’ll also try out for roller derby in 2010. I have to lose 40 pounds to do it, but I will do it this year. I’ve wanted to play derby for years. This year, it’s on!

Rebound will grow over the course of the year as we expand to include interviews with other people working their way out of debt, do a couple of giveaways and maybe even a few Rebound for kids episodes (hosted by the most awesome 10-year-old I know). I’m excited to see where Rebound goes over the next year. I think there are good things in store in 2010 for this little podcast.

Craft & Creative will morph into a brand new site this year. I can’t give you all the details now, but it will be so insanely cool that I can hardly contain myself.

Quite possibly the most time-intensive thing I will be doing this year is learning how to build websites with Ruby. The hubby and I both have great ideas for a couple of websites, and I’m ready to get them off the ground. That means I probably won’t do much crafting again this year, but hopefully it also means that I will be doing plenty of crafting in 2011.

I’ll be focusing on creating a cozy, stress-free home. With spending so much time getting out of debt, I’ve neglected to spend anything on my home which is really starting to look painful. So, I’m revamping the living room, our bedroom, and the kids’ room on a budget. Lots of DIY home goodness will happen this year, and you can be pretty sure that I’ll be blogging about it.

I’ll cross 50 things off of my 101 things list. This list was fun to create in 2009 and I’ll have even more fun crossing some of those items off this year.

Last but not least, there will be a big change that will happen in 2010 that I can’t talk about just yet. No, we’re not having a baby. Yes, we will be very close to completing Baby Step 2, but that’s not it. I will fill you in on the details when the time comes.

Whew, that’s a big list, isn’t it? What about you? What are your goals for 2010?

Image Credit: jurvetson

Where ever you are this New Years Eve, I hope that you are staying safe and healthy.

As I reflect on this year, I am surprised at how much I already miss 2009. I’ve never been unhappy to see a year go. As I’ve moved into another year in the past, I’ve always had a level of optimism that things would somehow be different in the new year, that I would magically change, that everything would somehow be okay.

But this year, I took a long hard look at my life and realized that I don’t need a new year to give me hope for something more. All it takes is the willingness to plan for your life and, because you can’t accomplish it all yourself, faith that God will provide what you need when you need it.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately setting personal and financial goals, and next week I’ll be sharing a few with you.

Until then, happy new year!

Image Credit: Paul McDee

The one thing I know for sure (thank you Oprah) is that setting goals personally and financially can impact your life in tremendously positive ways. You wouldn’t drive cross-country without a map, right? So why go through life without one?

In last week’s episode of Rebound, the hubs and I talked about setting financial goals and provided this worksheet to help you get started on your own financial goals.

We’re 4 hours in and almost finished and all I can say is, 2010 is going to be an awesome year.

Are you setting your 2010 goals? How’s it going for you?